Locomotive truck



Sept. 6, 1966 F. ZOELLNER LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June26. 1962 R m M T NM W 2 m w R Q T r %N Q QQ hrs Arromvfr Sept. 6, 1966F. ZOELLNER LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1962INVENTOR. F/WI'Z 2024mm? Sept. 6, 1966 F. ZOELLNER LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 26, 1962 INVENIOR.

m wfw Se t. 6, 1966 F. ZOELLNER LOCOMOTIVE TRUCK 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledJune 26, 1962 NVENTOR, W 72 6/ Sepia 1966 F. ZOELLNER 3,270.691

LOGOMOTIVE TRUCK Filed June 26, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 7 22mm,-

ZMLJMM fl f//ar LAM/ r United States Patent 3,270,691 LOCOMOTIVE TRUCKFritz Zoellner, Munich-Allach, Germany, assignor to Krauss-Matfei A.G.,Mnnich-Allach, Germany Filed June 26, 1962, Ser. No. 205,415 13 Claims.(Cl. 105-199) The present invention relates to railway vehicles. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to improvements in arrangements formounting the main frame or body of a railway vehicle on trucks such asare utilized in diesel-hydraulic locomotives and each of which normallycomprises two or three wheel assemblies. Still more particularly, theinvention relates to improvements in railway vehicles of the type inwhich the trucks are free to swivel with respect to the vehicle bodywithout a centric connection between the body and the trucks.

An important object of the invention is to provide a very simple andsturdy arrangement which is adapted to detachably mount the body of arailway vehicle on the trucks and which is constructed and arranged insuch a way that the body may be rapidly and conveniently detached fromand lifted above the trucks.

commodate at least some elements of the power train v which transmitsmotion to the wheel assemblies of the trucks without any interference onthe part of such elements when the body of the railway vehicle must belifted above the trucks.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide an arrangementof the above described general character which constitutes animprovement over the structure disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,011,458 toT. Wirth et al.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an arrangement formounting the body of a railway vehicle on a pair of spaced trucks insuch a way that the body may be lifted above the trucks withoutnecessitating disconnection or dismantling of the steering linkage forthe trucks and without disturbing the guide means which permit thetrucks to swivel with respect to the vehicle body.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of theabove outlined characteristics which is equally useful in railwayvehicleswhose trucks are provided with two or three wheel assemblies.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved railwayvehicle, particularly, a diesel-hydraulic locomotive, wherein thevehicle body may be separated from and lifted above the trucks withinexceptionally short periods of time and wherein the means which providesa detachable connection between the trucks and the vehicle body is notsubjected to any shearing stresses even if the trucks are caused toswivel with respect to the body. I

An additional object of the invention is to provide a railway vehicle ofthe just outlined characteristics wherein the means which connects thebody with the trucks is conveniently accessible to permit rapiddisconnection or connection of the vehicle body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a railway vehiclewherein the body may be separated from and reconnected with the trucksin a very simple manner so that such work may be performed bysemiskilled persons.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provisionof a railway vehicle which preferably assumes the form of adiesel-hydraulic locomotive of the type in which the trucks are free toswivel with respect to the vehicle body without a centric connectionbetween the body and the trucks. The vehicle comprises a body having anunderstructure, a truck adapted to extend at least in part beneath theunderstructure and having a central aperture and a longitudinal axis ofsymmetry extending in the direction of travel of the locomotive, and anarrangement for mounting the understructure on the truck. Thisarrangement comprises a first component which preferably assumes theshape of a box-like structure and which is rigidly secured to andextends downwardly from the understructure, a second component which ismounted in the central aperture of the truck in such a way that thetruck may swivel with respect thereto about the longitudinal axis ofsymmetry and about a vertical axis which is perpendicular to suchsymmetry axis, and means for detachably connecting the two componentswith each other so that, upon disconnection of said components, thevehicle body and the first component 'may be lifted above the truck andabove the second component.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following detailed description of a specificembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG, 1 is an elevational view showing a fragmentary longitudinal centralsection through the truck of a dieselhydraulic locomotive and through anovel arrangement for mounting the understructure of the main frame ofthe locomotive on the truck in such a way that the truck is free toswivel with respect to the main frame or vice versa, the section of FIG.1 being taken along the line II of FIG. 2, as seen in the direction ofarrows;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing a transverse section as seen inthe direction of arrows from the line II- II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing a longitudinal section through thetruck of a diesel-hydraulic locomotive and through the arrangementaccording to FIG. 1 for swivelly coupling thereto the understructure ofthe main frame, of which only a fragment is shown;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the truck according to FIG. 3 and showing afragmentary portion of the understructure of the main frame and thearrangement for swivelly coupling the latter to the truck; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of the main frameunderstructure and coupling arrangement according to the presentinvention.

The structure which is illustrated in the drawings forms part of adiesel-hydraulic locomotive including a vehicle body or main frame 4which is mounted on a pair of spaced railway trucks 13 (only one shown),and each truck is capable of being swiveled with respect to the body 4.The prime mover mounted in the body 4 drives the wheel assemblies of thetrucks in :a manner as disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,011,458 to T. Wirthet al. Each truck is assumed to be provided with three wheel assemblieswhich receive motion through a power train including a driver shaft 5, atransmission 29 which is mounted in the body 4 and whose input shaft 31is connected to the shaft 5 by a detachable coupling 30, a pair ofdriven shafts 6,. 7 which are detachably connected to output shafts 29a,29b of the transmission 29 by couplings 6a, 7a, respectively, and athird driven shaft 8 which is coupled to the shaft 6.

' In accordance with my invention, the vehicle body 4 is swivellycoupled to the trucks 13 by means of two special arrangements each ofwhich includes a substantially box-like first or upper component 1 and asecond component which comprises a pair of sections 2, 3. These sectionsare detachably connected to the component 1 and are accommodated in acentral aperture 13a of the respective truck 13 as shown in FIG. 4. Onlyone such arrangement is shown in the drawings because the otherarrangement is of identical design.

The vehicle body 4 may be of the self-supporting type, i.e., in additionto being mounted on a pair of swiveling trucks 13 this body may beprovided with additional wheel assemblies which travel along the rails.In FIGS. 1 and 2, the understructure of the body 4 comprises elongatedmetallic plates 9 which are welded to transversely extending metallicplates 10. The plates 9, 10 form a honeycomb structure, and the plates10 are welded to a pair of spaced supporting tubes 11 which are parallelwith the plates 9. The upper side of this composite understructure 9-11is covered by a horizontal plate 12. The plates 10 and the tubes 11 forma structural unit resembling a ladder wherein the plates 10 form thesteps and wherein the tubes 11 form the uprights.

The vertical axis of rotation of the truck 13 is shown by a line Y whichextends concentrically through the aperture 13a. The sections 2, 3 ofthe second component are received in this aperture in such a way thatthe truck 13 is free to swivel about the axis Y and/or about alongitudinal axis of symmetry X. The component 1 is a box-like structureof rectangular shape and is open at its lower end. It will be noted thatthe upper end of this component is welded to the understructure 9-11 andthat this component comprises a series of metallic sheets which arejoined by welding. These sheets include .two end walls 14, 14a which arelocated in vertical planes that make right angles with a plane passingthrough the longitudinal axis of symmetry X of the truck 13. The endwalls 14, 14a are respectively provided with arched openings or cutouts15, 15a whose lower ends are open, and the end walls 14, 14a arerespectively reinforced by arcuate wall portions 14', 14a shown in FIG.which surround the cutouts 15, 15a. The cutouts 15, 15a permit theshafts 6, 8 to extend with at least some play into the interior of thecomponent 1. FIG. 1 shows that the shaft 6 drives the transmission 32 ofan axle 33 which forms part of the central or intermediate wheelassembly of the truck 13. This axle is mounted in the truck 13 in thesame way as described in U.S. Patent No. 3,011,458. The shafts 7, 8respectively drive two outer wheel assemblies which are mounted in theframe of the truck 13.

The underside of the component 1 is located in a horizontal plane (thishorizontal plane passes through the symmetry axis X), and the component1 comprises two pairs of horizontal flanges 16, 16a which are outwardlyadjacent to the lower ends of the wall portions 14, 14a. That end ofeach flange which is nearer to the vertical axis Y is provided with adownwardly extending web 17, and these webs have horizontally extendingfaces which abut against a pair of flanges 18, 18a forming part of thesecond component as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. This second componentcomprises two distinct sections 2, 3 the former of which is locatedbelow the end wall 14 and the latter of which is located below the endwall 14a. The flange 18 forms part of the section 2 and its upper sideabuts against the undersides of the flanges 16 and against thehorizontally extending faces of the webs 17. The other flange 18a formspart of the section 3 and abuts against the undersides of the flanges16a as well as against the horizontally extending faces of the webs 17forming part of the flanges 16a. The section 2 is connected to thecomponent 1 by bolts 26 which extend through the flanges 16, 18. Similarbolts 26a extend through the flanges 16a, 18a to provide a detachableconnection between the component 1 and the other section 3 of the secondcomponent. The horizontal plane passing through the axis X in FIG. 1 isthe plane of separation between the two components, and it will be notedthat the cutouts 15, 15a extend upwardly from this plane so that, uponremoval of the bolts 26, 26a, the vehicle body 4 and the component 1 maybe lifted above the truck 13 and away from the sections 2, 3 0f thesecond component.

The sections 2, 3 respectively comprise downwardly extending plates 19,19a which carry the respective flanges 18, 18a and which are providedwith stiffening ribs 20. The plates 19, 19a respectively supportbearings 21, 21a for steering elements 22, 22a which form part of asteering linkage for the truck 13. The elements 22, 22a make rightangles with the longitudinal axis X of the truck 13 and transmit to thistruck transversely directed steering impulses so that the truck may turnabout the axis Y. In addition to the elements 22, 22a, the steeringlinkage comprises a pair of bell cranks (-not shown) which are mountedon the frame of the truck 13 and which are connected by a push-pull rodin a manner well known in the art.

The flanges 18, 18a are respectively provided with spherical guide means24, 24a which serve to transmit stresses in the longitudinal directionof the truck 13. The guide means 24 cooperates with a spherical guidemeans 23, and the guide means 24a cooperates with a spherical guidemeans 23a. The guide means 23, 23a are mounted on the truck 13 and eachof the guide means 23, 23a and 24, 24a is provided with a layer 25 ofmanganese steel or a similar hard substance so that the wear on theguide means is reduced to a minimum. The center of curvature of eachguide means is located in the axis Y so that the truck 13 may turn withrespect to the guide means 24, 24a about this axis without having acentric connection with the body 4.

By abutting against the adjacent horizontally extending faces of thewebs 17, the flanges 18, 18a protect the bolts 26, 26a from shearingstresses which would develop if the upper sides of the flanges 18, 18awere free to slide with respect to the undersides of the flanges 16, 16ain a direction parallel with the axis of symmetry X. In order to protectthe bolts 26, 26a from shearing stresses which would develop if theflanges .18, 18a were free to slide with respect to the flanges 16, 16ain directions making right angles with the axis X, the flanges 18 areprovided with upwardly extending webs 27 whose outer faces arehorizontal and abut against the inner sides of the flanges 16 so thatthe flanges 16, 16a are held against any displacements with respect tothe flanges 18, 18a or vice versa. The webs 27 fit into the lower endsof the cutouts 15, 15a.

The bearings 21, 21a are secured to plates 19, 19a by screws or bolts28. It will be noted that the bearings 21 are secured to that side ofthe plate 19 which faces the axis Y whereas the bearings 210: aresecured to that side of the plate 19a which is turned away from thisaxis.

If it should become necessary to separate the vehicle body 4 from thetruck 13, the sections 2, 3 are separated from the component 1 byremoving the bolts 26, 26a, and the shafts 6, 7 are separated from thetransmission 29 by disconnection of couplings 6a, 7a shown in FIG. 1. Itis assumed that, as seen in FIG. 3, the transmission 29 is mounted on,i.e., secured to, the understructure 911 by connection 35; however, ifthis transmission is secured to the truck 13, the coupling 6a, 7a neednot be touched at all and the operators merely disconnect the coupling30 between the drive shaft 5 and the input shaft 31 of the transmission29.

It will be readily understood that the arrangement of my invention isequally useful in railroad vehicles of the type wherein each truckcomprises only two wheel assemblies. Furthermore, it is equally withinthe scope of this invention to provide a rigid connection between thesections 2, 3 so that the arrangement then comprises a unitary firstcomponent with parts 14-17 which is fixed to the vehicle body and aunitary second component with parts 18-22a, 24, 24a and 27, 28 whichcooperates with the truck. In such instances, the second componentpreferably also assumes the shape of a box-like structure which isdetachably secured to the component 1. The width of the cutouts 15, amust be sufficient to permit passage of the shafts 6, 8 or ofarticulated joints which connect these shafts with each other and withthe output shaft 29a of the transmission 29. Such dimensioning of thecutouts 15, 15a permits unobstructed lowering or lifting of the vehiclebody 4.

If it should become necessary to extend one of the components downwardlyand beyond the axle 33 of the intermediate wheel assembly, thearrangement of my invention may consist of two or more groups ofseparable parts so that, for example, a first group of parts must bedetached in a first horizontal plane if the axle 33 is exchanged andthat a second group of parts is detached in a second horizontal planewhen the vehicle body 4 is to be lifted above the truck. Suchmodifications of my invention are so obvious that they can be readilycomprehended without additional illustrations.

As explained hereinabove, the railroad vehicle of my invention is of thetype in which there is no central pivot for interconnecting the vehiclebody 4 and the truck 13. The body 4 is, as seen in FIG. 4, preferablycarried by a pair of springs 36 arranged at opposite sides of the truck13 in a manner disclosed in US. Patent 3,011,45 8, and the sphericalconfiguration of cooperating guide means 2 3, 23a and 24, 24a enablesthe truck and the vehicle body to turn one with respect to the other,but there is no pivot at the center of the truck connecting the latterwith the body 4-.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the .gistof the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and] range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway vehicle of the type in which the trucks are free toswivel with respect to the vehicle body without a centric connectionbetween the body and the trucks, in combination, a vehicle body; a truckadapted to extend at least in part beneath said body; an arrangement forswivelly coupling said body to said truck, said arrangement comprising afirst component rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from saidbody, a second component positioned in the truck beneath said firstcomponent for rotative movements with respect to the truck about avertical axis,.and means detachably securing said second component tosaid first component so that each thereof shares all rotative movementsof the other, said first and second components defining betweenthemselves a substantially horizontally extending channel open atopposite ends thereof, said first and second components includingportions defining respectively upper and lower boundaries of saidchannel; and operating means for said vehicle mounted on said truck andincluding an elongated portion extending through said channel so thatwithout interfering with said operating means said body and said firstcomponent may be lifted with respect to said truck and said secondcomponent when said components are disconnected from each other.

2. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a vehicle body; a truck adaptedto extend at least in part beneath said body, said truck having acentral aperture and a longitudinal axis of symmetry extending in thedirection of the travel of the vehicle; shaft means mounted in saidtruck and having axes located in a vertical plane passing through saidaxis of symmetry; and an arrangement for swivelly coupling said body tosaid truck, said arrangement comprising a first component rigidly fixedto and located beneath said body, said component including a pair ofspaced end walls extending in vertical planes substantiallyperpendicular to said axis of symmetry and each of said end wall meansprovided with a cutout having an open lower end, said cutouts receivingwith play spaced portions of said shaft means, a second componentpositioned in the truck beneath said first component for rotativemovements about a vertical axis which intersects said axis of symmetry,and means detachably securing said second component to said firstcomponent.

3. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a vehicle body; a truck adaptedto extend at least in part beneath said body, said truck having acentral aperture and a longitudinal axis of symmetry extending in thedirection of the travel of the vehicle; shaft means mounted in saidtruck and having axes located in a vertical plane passing through saidaxis of symmetry; and an arrangement for swivelly coupling said body tosaid truck, said arrangement comprising a first component rigidly fixedto and located beneath said body, said component having an undersidelocated in a horizontal plane and including a pair of spaced end wallsextending in vertical planes substantially perpendicular to said axis ofsymmetry and each of said end wall means provided with a cutout havingan open lower end, said cutouts receiving with play spaced portions ofsaid shaft means, a second component positioned in the truck beneathsaid first component for rotative movements about a vertical axis whichintersects said axis of symmetry and having an upper side abuttingagainst the underside of said first component; and means detachablysecuring said second component to said first component.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said componentscomprises web means having horizontal faces parallel with said axis ofsymmetry and the other component comprises flange means abutting againstsaid faces so as to prevent transmission of shearing stresses to saidconnecting means.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said componentscomprises web means having horizontal faces making right angles withsaid axis of symmetry and the other component comprises flange meansabutting against said faces so as to prevent transmission of shearingstresses to said connecting means.

6. In a railway vehicle of the type in which the trucks are free toswivel with respect to the vehicle body without a centric connectionbetween the body and the trucks, in combination, a vehicle body; a truckadapted to extend at least in part beneath said body; an arrangement forswivelly coupling said body to said truck, said arrangement comprising afirst component rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from saidbody, a second component positioned in the truck beneath said firstcomponent for rotative movements with respect to the truck about avertical axis, means detachably securing said second component to saidfirst component so that each thereof shares all rotative movements ofthe other, first curved guide means having a center of curvature in saidvertical axis and secured to said truck so as to surround fixed to saidsecond component and slidably abutting against said first guide means soas to permit said truck to swivel with respect to said body, said firstand second components defining between themselves a substantiallyhorizontally extending channel open at opposite ends thereof, said firstand second components including portions defining respectively upper andlower boundaries of said channel; and operating means for said vehiclemounted on said truck and including an elongated portion extendingthrough said channel so that without interfering with said operatingmeans said body and said first component may be lifted with respect tosaid truck and said second component when said components aredisconnected from each other.

7. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a vehicle body; a truck adaptedto extend at least in part beneath said body, an arrangement forswivelly coupling said body to said truck, said arrangement comprising afirst component rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from saidbody, a second component positioned in the truck beneath said firstcomponent for rotative movements about a vertical axis, and meansdetachably securing said second component to said first component, saidfirst and second components defining between themselves a substantiallyhorizontally extending channel open at opposite ends thereof, said firstand second components including portions defining respectively upper andlower boundaries of said channel; and operating means for said vehiclemounted on said truck and including an elongated portion extending withplay through said channel so that without interfering with saidoperating means said body and said first component may be lifted abovesaid truck and above said second component when said components aredisconnected from each other.

8. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a vehicle body; a truck adaptedto extend at least in part beneath said body, said truck having acentral aperture and a longitudinal axis of symmetry extending in thedirection of the travel of the vehicle; shaft means mounted in saidtruck and having axes located in a vertical plane passing through saidaxis of symmetry; and an arrangement for swivelly coupling said body tosaid truck, said arrangement comprising a first component rigidly fixedto and located beneath said body, said component including a pair ofspaced end walls extending in vertical planes substantiallyperpendicular to said axis of symmetry and each of said end wall meansprovided with a cutout having an open lower end, said cutouts receivingwith play spaced portions of said shaft means, a second componentpositioned in the truck beneath said first component for rotativemovements about a vertical axis which intersects said axis of symmetry,means detachably securing said second component to said first component,flange means fixed to said second component, first curved guide meanshaving a center of curvature in said vertical axis and fixed to saidflange means, and second curved guide means abutting against anddisposed about said first guide means, said second guide means fixed tosaid truck so that the truck is free to swivel with respect to saidbody.

9. In a diesel-hydraulic locomotive of the type in which the trucks arefree to swivel with respect to the vehicle body without a centricconnection between the body and the trucks, in combination, a vehiclebody having an understructure; a truck adapted to extend at least inpart beneath said body, said truck having a central aperture and alongitudinal axis of symmetry extending in the direction of travel ofthe locomotive; an arrangement for swivelly coupling said understructureto said truck, said arrangement comprising a first component rigidlysecured to and extending downwardly from said understructure, a secondcomponent positioned in the central aperture of said truck so that thetruck is free to swivel with respect to said second component about saidlongitudinal axis and about a vertical axis which intersects said firstmentioned axis, and means for detachably connecting said components toeach other, said first com ponent including a substantially box-likestructure having a pair of end walls located in vertical planesperpendicular to said axis of symmetry, each of said end walls beingprovided with a cutout having an open lower end and said axis ofsymmetry being located in a vertical plane halving said cutouts; andshaft means mounted in said truck and extending with play through saidcutouts so that said body and said first component may be lifted abovesaid truck and above said second component who said components aredisconnected from each other.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9, wherein said second componentcomprises 'a first section adjacent and connected to one of said endwalls and a second section adjacent and secured to the other end wall.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 9, wherein said second componentis a box-like structure having an upper side located in a horizontalplane and abutting against the undersides of said end walls.

12. In a diesel-hydraulic locomotive of the type in which the trucks arefree to swivel with respect to the vehicle body without a centricconnection between the body and the trucks, in combination, a vehiclebody having an understructure; a truck adapted to extend at least inpart beneath said body, said truck having a central aperture and alongitudinal axis of symmetry extending in the direction of travel ofthe locomotive; an arrangement for swivelly coupling said understructureto said truck, said arrangement comprising a first component rigidlysecured to and extending downwardly from said understructure, a secondcomponent positioned in the central aperture of said truck so that thetruck is free to swivel with respect to said second component about saidlongitudinal axis and about a vertical axis which intersects said firstmentioned axis, and means for detachably connecting said components toeach other, said first component having an underside located in ahorizontal plane and said second component having an upper side abuttingagainst said underside, said first component defining at said undersidethereof an elongated horizontal channel open at opposite ends and saidupper side of said second component at least partly closing said channellengthwise intermediate the ends thereof; and operating means for saidvehicle mounted on said truck and including an elongated portionextending with play through said channel so that said body and saidfirst component may be lifted above said truck and above said secondcomponent when said components are disconnected from each other.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12, further comprising abuttingflange and web means provided on said components for preventingdisplacements of said components in said horizontal plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 395,859 1/1889Turyman -199 1,613,864 1/1927 Ahlm 105-133 1,743,514 1/1930 Alley et a1.105-34 2,084,861 6/1937 Michael et a1. 105-133 2,150,896 3/1939 Muchnic105-199 2,184,102 12/1939 Piron 105-182 2,509,955 5/1950 Barnes 105-1992,885,970 5/1959 Heumann 105-199 3,011,458 12/1961 Wirth et al. 105-1963,013,507 12/1961 Stein 105-96 X 3,150,611 9/1964 Kugler 105-1993,181,479 5/1965 Rumsey et al. 105-136 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, PrimaryExaminer. LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiner. H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A RAILWAY VEHICLE OF THE TYPE IN WHICH THE TRUCKS ARE FREE TOSWIVEL WITH RESPECT TO THE VEHICLE BODY WITHOUT A CENTRIC CONNECTIONBETWEEN THE BODY AND THE TRUCKS, IN COMBINATION, A VEHICLE BODY; A TRUCKADAPTED TO EXTEND AT LEAST IN PART BENEATH SAID BODY; AN ARRANGEMENT FORSWIVELLY COUPLING SAID BODY TO SAID TRUCK, SAID ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING AFIRST COMPONENT RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAIDBODY, A SECOND COMPONENT POSITIONED IN THE TRUCK BENEATH SAID COMPONENTFOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE TRUCK ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS,AND MEANS DETACHABLY SECURING SAID SECOND COMPONENT TO SAID FIRSTCOMPONENT SO THAT EACH THEREOF SHARES ALL ROTATIVE MOVEMENTS OF THEOTHER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMPONENTS DIFINING BETWEEN THEMSELVES ASUSBTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CHANNEL OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDSTHEREOF, SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMPONENTS INCLUDING PORTIONS DEFININGRESPECTIVELY UPPER AND LOWER BOUNDARIES OF SAID CHANNEL; AND OPERATINGMEANS FOR SAID VEHICLE MOUNTED ON SAID TRUCK AND INCLUDING AN ELONGATEDPORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CHANNEL SO THAT WITHOUT INTERFERING WITHSAID OPERATING MEANS SAID BODY AND SAID FIRST COMPONENT MAY BE LIFTEDWITH RESPECT TO SAID TRUCK AND SAID SECOND COMPONENT WHEN SAIDCOMPONENTS ARE DISCONNECTED FROM EACH OTHER.